Failing the Palestinian State : The human rights impact of the economic strangulation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Olivier De Schutter, FIDH general secretary, and Laurence Weerts conducted a Mission for the International Federation for Human Rights in Israel and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) between 25 June and 2 July 2006. The mission was set up in order to examine the situation of economic and social rights in Gaza and the West Bank, almost one year after Israel ‘disengaged’ from the Gaza strip and three months after Israel and the international community decided to suspend all contacts with the government of the Palestinian Authority and to interrupt all aid channelled to and via that government, following the taking into office a government led by the Hamas on 29 March 2006 after elections were held on 25 January 2006. A report will be prepared on the basis of the findings of the mission. This note summarizes its preliminary conclusions.